Today’s Veterinary NewsThe Latest News in Veterinary Medicine

March/April 2016 • (Volume 6, Number 2)

NEW ONLINE RABIES VACCINATION RESOURCE FOR VETERINARIANS

Merial has announced the launch of rabiesaware.org, a national rabies information resource for the veterinary profession. Led by Richard Ford, DVM, MS, Diplomate ACVIM & ACVPM (Hon), Emeritus Professor of Medicine at North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, this first-of-its-kind website tracks up-to-date information on state and local rabies vaccination laws and helps to ensure that veterinarians and staff have quick and easy access to rabies vaccination requirements on a state-by-state basis. This website contains current information on nearly 20 states and will be completed for all 50 states and Puerto Rico later this year.

CANINE INFLUENZA VACCINE RECEIVES CONDITIONAL USDA LICENSE

Zoetis, Inc announced that the United States Department of Agriculture has granted the company a conditional license to market Canine Influenza Vaccine, H3N2, Killed Virus, the first commercially licensed vaccine to help control disease associated with canine influenza virus H3N2 (CIV H3N2). The first U.S. cases of CIV H3N2, a severe and highly contagious respiratory disease affecting dogs, were detected in Chicago, Illinois, in March 2015. Since then, there have been reports of the virus in 25 states. The new, killed virus vaccine will be administered in 2 doses, 3 weeks apart, to healthy dogs 8 weeks of age or older. Annual revaccination is recommended for maximum protection. For more information, visit zoetisus.com.

ANIMAL WELFARE ORGANIZATIONS LAUNCH NATIONAL DATABASE

Several leading national animal welfare organizations have announced the launch of Shelter Animals Count: The National Database Project, a platform for the collection and reporting of animal shelter data for organizations across the country. The database, which can be found at shelteranimalscount.org, is focused on promoting the importance of data collection as the organization recruits shelters to participate. As membership increases, the database project will be able to measure progress in animal welfare on a national level, hoping to inspire life-saving collaboration and increased public engagement. Once an initial baseline of data has been gathered, Shelter Animals Count will be able to provide comparative reports, including shelter and United States Census data through a Tableau Software interface.

NEW JERSEY VETERINARY PRACTICES JOIN VETERINARY SPECIALISTS OF NORTH AMERICA

Veterinary Specialists of North America (VSNA) has announced the addition of Animal Emergency & Referral Associates (AERA) of Fairfield, New Jersey, and the Animal Eye Center of New Jersey (AEC) of Little Falls to its group of veterinary hospitals in the Northeast. AERA is the first emergency care hospital established for small animals in the United States, where more than 25 veterinarians (emergency and specialists) provide patient care in the areas of surgery, internal medicine, cardiology, oncology, neurology, behavioral medicine, dentistry, anesthesiology, and emergency/critical care. AEC is dedicated to veterinary ophthalmology, with 2 board-certified ophthalmologists, and was the first veterinary hospital in the world to employ a technologically advanced cataract removal system. For more information, visit animalerc.com.

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OVER 1 MILLION HOUSEHOLDS GIVE UP A PET EACH YEAR

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) has released results of a research study addressing the rehoming of cats and dogs in the United States, as well as the reasons why many pet owners feel they must rehome their pets. The study, published in the peer-reviewed Open Journal of Animal Sciences, shows that an estimated 6.12 million households are rehoming or surrendering their pets every 5 years, which means that more than 1 million households are rehoming their pets each year. Of pet owners surveyed who reported having given up a pet within the last 5 years, the following trends were noted:

Rehomed pets were most often given to a friend or family member (37%), closely followed by being taken to a shelter (36%). Other rehoming options included being taken to a veterinarian (14%), given to someone not previously known (11%), and abandoned (1%).

The primary reason for rehoming a pet was related to the pets themselves (46%), followed by family situations (27%) and housing issues (18%).

Among the 46% who responded that they gave up a pet due to a pet-related issue, 26% said they could not afford medical care for their pets’ health problems.

When pet owners with incomes lower than $50,000 were asked which service might have helped them the most, the majority indicated free or low-cost veterinary care (40%). Other services indicated were free or low-cost training or behavior help (34%), access to pet-friendly housing (33%), free or low-cost spay/neuter services (30%), free or low-cost pet food (30%), free or low-cost temporary pet care or boarding (30%), and assistance in paying pet deposits for housing (17%).

The ASPCA estimates that, of the approximately 7.6 million pets that enter animal shelters each year, approximately 2.7 million are euthanized. For more information, visit aspca.org.

2016 PETPLAN Veterinary Awards

The fifth annual Petplan Veterinary Awards Dinner was held at Orlando’s Four Seasons Resort in tandem with the North American Veterinary Community (NAVC) Conference. The event shines a spotlight on outstanding veterinary professionals across North America. Nominees, submitted by both professional peers and clients, completed a rigorous application process from which six semifinalists per category were chosen. An independent judging panel then chose three to advance to the final round. Each winner received a $1000 cash prize, a $1000 donation to a pet-focused charity of their choice, and prizes from companies, such as Merck, Nutramax, and Barkbox. The Petplan Veterinary Awards honor the important work of America’s veterinary professionals, who go above and beyond by providing pets with exceptional care and clients with outstanding customer service. To learn more about the 2016 winners or nominate a pet health hero for the 2017 awards, visit gopetplan.com/vetawards.

PATTERSON VETERINARY ANNOUNCES STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH VOYCE PRO

Patterson Veterinary has announced that it now represents Voyce Pro, a remote monitoring service for canine patients that enables veterinary professionals to monitor key vital signs, including resting heart rate, resting respiratory rate, activity, intensity of activity, and quality of rest. This partnership creates new opportunities to broaden the use of remote monitoring by any type of veterinary practice, whether it is a single doctor, multi-doctor, or specialty practice. Voyce Pro is particularly useful in monitoring treatment efficacy and client compliance in cases, such as osteoarthritis, pain, heart disease, obesity, and postoperative recovery. For more information, visit pattersonvet.com.

D-TEC CB TEST HELPS ELIMINATE CANINE BRUCELLOSIS

In an effort to help eliminate canine brucellosis from Ohio’s high-volume breeding kennels, veterinarians are using D-Tec CB to screen for canine brucellosis prior to breeding. D-Tec CB, a rapid slide agglutination test from Zoetis, detects antibodies to Brucella canis in dogs. The test enables veterinarians to confirm a dog’s negative status in approximately 2 minutes rather than sending samples to a laboratory and waiting several days for results. For more information about D-Tec CB, visit zoetisus.com or contact Zoetis Customer Service at 1-888-Zoetis1 (1-888-963-8471).

K-9 COURAGE PROGRAM MEETS ENROLLMENT GOAL

Zoetis, Inc announced that its RIMADYL K-9 Courage Program has reached its goal of enrolling 500 retired police and military dogs in 2015. Launched in March 2015, the program provides the owner of each dog with $300 on a debit card that can be applied toward any veterinary expenses, ranging from wellness visits and vaccines to prescription medications and treats. With the enrollment of 500 dogs, the program is now at capacity. However, interested owners of retired military and police dogs may sign up to receive updates on future program availability at rimadylk9courage.com. The website features stories about some of the heroic dogs currently participating in the program as well as information about how to support the partner organizations—the Sage Foundation for Dogs Who Serve and the National Police Dog Foundation.

Penn Foster College, a leader in career-focused online and blended education, has announced that veterinary technician student, Stephanie Jana Hollich, won the Dr. James Lloyd Milton Excellence in Patient Care Scholarship Award. The annual scholarship is awarded by the Alabama Veterinary Technician Association (AVTA) and is sponsored by Pet Services, Inc. Over the past year and a half, Ms. Hollich has worked as a veterinary assistant at Linderman Animal Hospital in Brownsboro, Alabama, while studying part time at Penn Foster College to become a veterinary technician. Learn more at pennfoster.edu/why-penn-foster/news/press-releases/2015/12/avta-scholarship-award.

The NAVC does not, by publication of ads, express endorsement or verify the accuracy and effectiveness of the products and claims contained therein. The publisher, NAVC, disclaims any liability for any damages resulting from the use of any product advertised herein and suggests that readers fully investigate the products and claims prior to purchasing. While articles have been peer-reviewed and strive to present the most accurate information available, there is no implication that material published herein represents the best or only procedure for a particular condition and, further, the views of the authors are not necessarily those of the NAVC. It is the responsibility of the reader to verify the accuracy and applicability of any information presented and to adapt as new data becomes publicly available.